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Torpor
Torpor is a term used to describe the state of deep slumber that vampires enter into for prolonged periods of time, in both Vampire: The Masquerade and Vampire: The Requiem scenarios. Overview Torpor may be entered into voluntarily by vampires, such as when one seeks to escape the monotony of eternal life and awaken in a different age, or, more commonly, involuntarily, as when a vampire starves or suffers damage sufficient to kill a mortal. The amount of time one spends in torpor depends on the reason for hibernating and the vampire's strength against the Beast. Torpor is particularly common among elders, who often feel a great ennui after centuries of unlife or who wish to sleep through certain ages and rise again during more "interesting" times. Differences between Masquerade and Requiem In Vampire: The Masquerade, torpor is merely a deeper state of stasis compared to the sleep vampires normally experience during daylight hours. The length of torpor depends on the vampire's Humanity or Path rating, and can last from a day to over a millennium. Though it is stated that ancient vampires often feel the need to enter voluntary torpor, or the sleep of ages, rules for this were not described until the Dark Ages Storytellers Companion. Torpor is described as a relatively dreamless state where the vampire's body is preserved (unless suffering from lack of blood) and does not require sustenance. Sufficiently strong-willed individuals may maintain some degree of consciousness, and a few high-level Disciplines can be used from torpor. In Vampire: The Requiem, torpor is often a disturbing experience where the vampire's mind wanders through memories of one's requiem and her mortal existence. These events are relived over and over, each time seeing different outcomes, different participants, different precedents. This can cloud a vampire's memory to such an extent that they cannot clearly remember events that occurred before their last stint of torpor, an effect called the Fog of Eternity. During this time the body swiftly dries out and takes on the appearance of being mummified. The skin contracts around the bones, the eyes dry out and sink into their sockets, hair become fine and brittle. The muscles of one's mouth retreat, forming a rictus around the teeth. To all appearances, the vampire is a long dead corpse. Mechanically, torpor in Masquerade has little aftereffect on a Kindred. Expectations of old and very powerful elders rising from torpor form an important element of setting's stories. Requiem torpor, on the other hand, causes a vampire to weaken in Blood Potency. This could be a desirable effect as a vampire might grow too strong and intense to find sustenance in mortal or even Kindred blood. Torpor and Paths of Enlightenment In Masquerade, vampires who enter torpor due to wounds must rest for a period depending on their Humanity or Path rating: Following this period of rest, the player may spend a blood point and make an attempt to Awakening. If the vampire has no blood in his body, he may not rise until he is fed; the vampire may try to awaken for as long as he has Vitae on his system. If the vampire rises successfully, he is considered Crippled and should either spend blood or hunt immediately to regain his full strength. References * * Category:Vampire: The Masquerade glossary Category:Vampire: The Requiem glossary